'The Walking Dead': Road trip to hell

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It's not easy being a leader: Rick made a difficult choice on 'The Walking Dead.'

Everyone’s journey ends on “The Walking Dead,” just not in ways one might expect.

Last night on “Indifference,” Rick grappled with Carol’s confession of guilt and came to a devastating decision.

First, though, Daryl, Tyreese, Michonne and Bob made their way to that vet college in search of medical supplies.

Tyreese was in a rage over Karen’s murder.

Michonne couldn’t explain why she was still hunting the Governor even though the trail was cold.

Daryl was happy picking up rocks (sort of).

Bob shared his backstory, and it made him a sad figure of sorts: The only survivor of two different groups, he felt cursed to wander.

Then Daryl found him by the side of the road and gave him another chance.

Then, after one of the many walker attacks of the night, the three discovered he was carrying booze with him – not supplies.

And when Daryl seemed ready to smash the bottle, Bob twitched his fingers for his gun and threatened Daryl.

Oh, no, he didn’t.

Daryl got up into his face – so far up into his face he could probably see up his nostril to his wee, scared little brain.

You don’t threaten Daryl. Ever.

Daryl now regretted ever giving Bob a chance.

That was a theme repeated elsewhere but with much more wrenching consequences.

Rick and Carol went on a run of their own for food and ended up in what looked like the “Modern Family” neighborhood after the apocalypse. I like to imagine the Dunphys would go quickly. I digress.

Rick was still wrestling with the knowledge that Carol killed two people.

“They were a threat,” she reasoned. “I was trying to save lives. I had to try. Somebody had to try.”

After an attack by a walker, Rick and Carol were surprised by two stoner types – Sam and Girl with Limp – bearing fruit.

I have difficulty believing these two would last three minutes in this world, but they were here, friendly – maybe too friendly – and desperate to be part of the group.

Carol helped Sam re-set his shoulder, a trick she learned from the Internet after all the beatings she endured from her husband.

Remember that jerk? Now that was a good death. Thank you, “Walking Dead.”

The two were eager to help out, but Rick was naturally reluctant. Carol, however, thought it was the humane thing to do, to welcome them into the group, and they agreed to split up to scavenge supplies. Rick handed over a gun – and his own watch – so they could meet back in a couple of hours.

That wasn’t going to end well.

It didn’t. Girl with Limp soon was without her leg – and her life.

Rick and Carol found walkers – or skin-eaters as the two called them – making a picnic lunch out of her.

Sam? Vanished.

Carol pressed Rick to talk about what she had done for the group and threw Shane’s death in his face.

“You don’t have to like what I did, Rick. I don’t. Just accept it.”

And that’s the thing. As they bonded over stories of their marriages – Ed beat her, Lori made him horrible pancakes every Sunday (See? You knew there was a reason you hated her!) – Rick’s head was turning.

He made a decision.

He was going back to the prison.

Carol wasn’t.

“Karen and David might have lived and now they’re dead. That wasn’t your decision to make. When Tyreese finds out, he’ll kill you…The others won’t want you there.”

He was acting like a leader again, the leader he didn’t want to be. He was banishing her.

Thinking of his children, he added, “I won’t have you there.”

“Rick, it’s me. No one else has to know,” she said.

Rick was adamant: She couldn't go back to the group. And she’s strong enough now to make it on her own.